‘Frozen’ the cat has his tail removed due to frostbite after being found out in the cold
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2018 (3011 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Animal caretakers in Brandon are encouraging owners to keep their pets inside this winter after a cat had its tail removed at a veterinary clinic recently due to frostbite.
A six- to eight-month-old male cat was brought in to the Grand Valley Animal Clinic on Dec. 28 after a man found him out in the cold near a south-end bowling alley.
Figures from Environment and Climate Change Canada show the weather that day dipped below -30 C with the wind chill.
“With those temperatures, he probably wasn’t out more than an hour or so,” said Mandy Ray, a registered veterinary technologist at the clinic.
The cat, which the clinic has named Frozen, had a collar on but not a tag and was given medication to help with the pain he was feeling from the frostbite. Ray said the cat was screeching because his tail was so cold.
Frozen had his tail removed on Thursday and was able to stand and walk the following day, but there are concerns he may lose his left ear as well if it doesn’t heal.
No one has come forward to take ownership of Frozen and for the time being, the clinic has chosen to foster him. If Frozen’s home isn’t found, he will be put up for adoption.
“He’s a really, really sweet cat and he’s really, really friendly,” Ray said. “I’m sure he must have belonged to somebody.”
But given the cold weather, it’s possible there are others in the city who weren’t as lucky.
“There’s probably frozen cats all over the place that people have just let out and nobody’s found them,” Ray said.
Tracy Munn, shelter manager for the Brandon Humane Society, said recently they took in two puppies that were left outside.
A couple of years ago, she said the Humane Society took in a cat that was missing part of its nose because of frostbite.
In another case, a black kitten named Lewis had his toes removed for the same reason.
“I honestly think it’s neglect,” said Munn, who has been with the Humane Society for more than 20 years.
“I think people think because we do this work that we’re used to it. I’m not used to this, I don’t want to see it.”
Special Const. Brent Castle from Brandon Animal Control said people should contact the agency to report a missing animal.
Castle has been with Brandon Animal Control for 13 years and said he has seen an increase in cases involving cats.
“People have the attitude that cats are more disposable,” Castle said.
“A lot of those unaccounted animals usually seem to be cats more so than dogs.”
Many of these cats in particular, including Frozen, are found without any sort of identification, which makes it harder to track down their owners.
But the work of concerned citizens like those from the Brandon Humane Society and others are crucial in helping to make animals safe he said.
» mlee@brandonsun.com
» Twitter: @mtaylorlee